38 replies to this topic

[LuigiVercotti]

Switching the emphasis from farcical organisational issues, who has done well out of these CGs in the actual sports and who has dudded us?

Aside from the monolithic success of the Australian team as a whole I'm intrigued by the strong showing of South Africa (portents for an even better showing 4 years from now maybe, perhaps with a future CGs in the pipeline?) whereas NZ seems to have fallen behind. Canada's CG glory days are also looking a little like a dim memory...are Canucks disengaging from the games in favour of winter sports and their recent success at Vancouver?

[faster]

Switching the emphasis from farcical organisational issues, who has done well out of these CGs in the actual sports and who has dudded us?

Aside from the monolithic success of the Australian team as a whole I'm intrigued by the strong showing of South Africa (portents for an even better showing 4 years from now maybe, perhaps with a future CGs in the pipeline?) whereas NZ seems to have fallen behind. Canada's CG glory days are also looking a little like a dim memory...are Canucks disengaging from the games in favour of winter sports and their recent success at Vancouver?

Top athletes are missing in cycling, athletics, shooting, archery, and swimming. Oh and the big one gymnastics. If we had sent our top gymnastics team that would have accounted for a fair few more medals. Plus the competition schedule is certainly gerrymandered to favour India over Canada (no mountain biking, judo, triathlon and some of the para-sport events kinda suck for us). 34 medals in shooting is ridiculous. Mind you Canada`s top shooters have yet to compete.

75 is still a realistic target. But I definately think Canada should better its gold medal count from Melbourne. And remember Canada`s 118 medal performance in Manchester was followed by a disaster in Athens. And I think what matters more is that Canada will break the 20 medal mark in London. And I certainly see more medal opportunity for Canada than India in the next couple of days.

If you added an event that drastically favours Canada like there is for Australia or India (canoe/kayaking) than the medals would be more balanced. England is really the only nation competing that excels across the board without an event that they completely dominate.

In reality we have missed about 5 medals we really should have won (almost all of them in swimming) but have also won medals that were unlikely (like the 3 in greco-roman wrestling)

Also the vastly increased coverage the games are getting now compared to 4 years ago gives me hope that the COC will focus on the CWG in 2014 as a major training point and measuring stick leading to Rio.

Edited by Faster, 07 October 2010 - 05:35 PM.

[LuigiVercotti]

Top athletes are missing in cycling, athletics, shooting, archery, and swimming. Oh and the big one gymnastics. If we had sent our top gymnastics team that would have accounted for a fair few more medals. Plus the competition schedule is certainly gerrymandered to favour India over Canada (no mountain biking, judo, triathlon and some of the para-sport events kinda suck for us). 34 medals in shooting is ridiculous. Mind you Canada`s top shooters have yet to compete.

75 is still a realistic target. But I definately think Canada should better its gold medal count from Melbourne. And remember Canada`s 118 medal performance in Manchester was followed by a disaster in Athens. And I think what matters more is that Canada will break the 20 medal mark in London. And I certainly see more medal opportunity for Canada than India in the next couple of days.

If you added an event that drastically favours Canada like there is for Australia or India (canoe/kayaking) than the medals would be more balanced. England is really the only nation competing that excels across the board without an event that they completely dominate.

In reality we have missed about 5 medals we really should have won (almost all of them in swimming) but have also won medals that were unlikely (like the 3 in greco-roman wrestling)

Also the vastly increased coverage the games are getting now compared to 4 years ago gives me hope that the COC will focus on the CWG in 2014 as a major training point and measuring stick leading to Rio.

Which sport do you think that drastically favours Australia at these CGs? Potential candidates such as Hockey, Rugby and Netball are team sports with only 1 gold medal at the games. Gymnastics was a sport at the CGs which favoured Canada and England for some time at least in men's whilst swimming was for donkey's years a battle between Australia, Canada and England. Lawn Bowls may be the best candidate for your proposition but considering England, NZ, Malaysia and Scotland are all substantive powers in the sport as well then Australia has no singular bias in their favour.

Perhaps my memory of Edmonton 1978 colours my interpretation of Canada's CG success however it seems that somewhere along the way Canada's sporting bodies have put the CGs and many summer sports into the uninterested or too hard basket. Instead of waiting for a more favourable disposition of sports as you suggest increased interest in the current games may propel better programs for 2014/2016.

[faster]

Canada's top priority summer sports

Diving
Women's Wrestling
Rowing
Canoe/Kayak
Swimming
Athletics
Syncro Swimming

And those sports are 13 of Canada's 18 medals in Beijing.

Canada is starting to adopt a model where if there isn't promising athletes in the shoot there is no money going to the program. So since Beijing equestrian has gotten some focus, as has taekwondo. Its already starting to show in equestrian with two of the three events already securing their sports in London through the WEG instead of the Pan American Games.

Swimming - Australia 30, all other countries 42.
Cycling - 11 gold medals, 10 to Australia, 1 to Malaysia

[stevie]

New Zealand’s cyclists are doing well when you consider team only won one 2 silver and 2 bronze in Melbourne, compeered to the 4 silvers and 3 bronze we’ve got so far in Delhi. Plus we have real gold medal chances in the women’s individual pursuit and the road time trial.

Edited by stevie, 07 October 2010 - 10:27 PM.

[LuigiVercotti]

NZ certainly seem to have a lock on being the silver medal champions at these games.

One nice and big win for the Aussies was Geoff Huegill. Having lost over 45 kilos after coming out of retirement to win a gold medal in the Delhi pool and do it in a CG record time is not a bad effort.

[BethnalGreen]

Rols, to answer the question in what sport is Australia favoured in, cycling is the main one. GB have been dominating this one for a while. Yet, the majaority of GB stars have chosen to compete in other events. Not Australia's fault, but favouring them in a big way at the CGs. They basically have little competition...

[LuigiVercotti]

Rols, to answer the question in what sport is Australia favoured in, cycling is the main one. GB have been dominating this one for a while. Yet, the majaority of GB stars have chosen to compete in other events. Not Australia's fault, but favouring them in a big way at the CGs. They basically have little competition...

Yes, without the best of the English, Scottish and Welsh cyclists Australia has had it very much our own way. Having said that some of the cyclists who have won golds for Aus are still relatively young and can only get better for London...and as our team found out in the transition from 2004 in Athens to 2008 in Beijing four years is a long time in track cycling.

Question for our UK contributors; has the CGs been less successful than expected for the varying British contingents? The combo of high profile drop outs and illness seems to have dented the build up for London via Delhi (assuming these CGs were meant to be a major stepping stone towards the next SOGs).

[faster]

I think the fact that Australia will likely be denied 200+ medals and the English only being about 20 medals behind Australia is proof enough that the Brits are really playing well.

I have to say, so what if India finishes ahead of Canada. Canadian medals won in Beijing - 18, Indian medals won all-time - 18.

[Sir Rols]

Yeah, I gotta say, that is one thing that has dampened my enthusiasm for these games. When London was chosen for 2012, I was really anticipating that these were going to be a hot competitive Commies with some juicy rivalry between England and Australia, Cycling especially, with the UK primed to prove a point in the lead up to London (and especially after the UK's achievement at Athens) and top the table. A good, tough, competitive battle for top spot would have been a great boost. Still, don';t want to count chickens - it could still be close.